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2015-17 Municipal Stormwater Grants of Regional or Statewide Significance
Funding Guidelines
June 2015 Publication no. 15-10-025
Publication and Contact Information
This report is available on the Department of Ecology’s website at http://ecy.wa.gov/biblio/1510025.html
For more information contact:
Water Quality Program P.O. Box 47600 Olympia, WA 98504-7600
Phone: 360-407-6600
Washington State Department of Ecology - www.ecy.wa.gov
o Headquarters, Olympia 360-407-6000
o Northwest Regional Office, Bellevue 425-649-7000
o Southwest Regional Office, Olympia 360-407-6300
o Central Regional Office, Yakima 509-575-2490
o Eastern Regional Office, Spokane 509-329-3400
If you need this document in a format for the visually impaired, call the Water Quality Program at 360-407-6600. Persons with hearing loss can call 711 for Washington Relay Service. Persons with a speech disability can call 877-833-6341.
2015-17 Municipal Stormwater Grants of
Regional or Statewide Significance
Funding Guidelines
Water Quality Program Washington State Department of Ecology
Olympia, Washington 98504-7710
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 1
Funding program purpose .......................................................................................................................... 1
Applicant eligibility ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Grant ceiling and match ............................................................................................................................. 2
Partnerships ............................................................................................................................................... 2
Program schedule....................................................................................................................................... 2
Eligible projects .......................................................................................................................................... 2
Evaluation Process ..................................................................................................................................... 5
Ineligible project components ................................................................................................................... 6
How to apply .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Grant Management .................................................................................................................................... 6
Administration ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Agreement development ....................................................................................................................... 7
Payment requests and project reporting ............................................................................................... 7
1
Introduction
The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is soliciting grant proposals for projects of
regional or statewide significance to support implementation of the National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Stormwater General Permits in
Washington state including:
• Phase I Municipal Stormwater General Permit
• Western Washington Phase II Municipal Stormwater General Permit
• Eastern Washington Phase II Municipal Stormwater General Permit Funding for this program depends on funding being provided to Ecology by the 2015
Washington State Legislature. Ecology will announce the total funds available after the
Washington State 2015-17 Biennial budget is adopted.
This competitive grant program is available only to cities and counties covered by a municipal
stormwater permit. Ports, universities, school or drainage districts, state agencies covered by
municipal stormwater permits, or other secondary permittees are not eligible to apply directly for
this funding, but may partner with a permitted city or county. For information on local
governments covered by the permits and permit requirements, see Ecology’s website at:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/stormwater/municipal/index.html
Funding program purpose
This grant program will provide financial assistance to Phase I and Phase II local governments
for projects that benefit stormwater management programs statewide or across a region, and
support implementation of NPDES municipal stormwater permit programs. Project benefits
may include, but are not limited to:
• Assistance for a number of permittees in a region or statewide to implement
permit requirements.
• Development of a product that can be used regionally or statewide.
• Regional or statewide access to advances in stormwater management
technology or resources.
NOTE: Capital construction projects are not eligible for funding through this grant program.
Applicant eligibility
This is a competitive grant program open to all cities or counties in Washington State covered
by a Phase I or Phase II Municipal Stormwater General Permit. Ports, universities, school
districts, drainage districts, state agencies, or other secondary permittees are not eligible to
apply directly for this funding program but may partner with a permitted city or county.
Local governments receiving funding under other Ecology stormwater grant programs are not
precluded from applying for these grants of regional and statewide significance.
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Grant ceiling and match
Grant funding requests and offers may not exceed $300,000. There is no lower limit for
proposals. There are no match requirements, and grant awards will cover 100 percent
of eligible costs of the grant offer amount.
Partnerships
Project proponents are strongly encouraged to form partnerships to address issues of common
concern and to provide economies of scale. Eligible partners include, but are not limited to,
other Phase I and Phase II permittees, the Washington State Department of Transportation,
conservation districts, secondary permittees (such as ports, universities, and school and drainage
districts), as well as associations, non-profit organizations, and non-permitted local
governments.
Program schedule
• 5:00 pm, July 30, 2015 Deadline to submit grant applications to
Ecology
• August 31, 2015 Ecology issues the Final Offer and Applicant List
• September 1 – October 30, 2015 Negotiate and sign funding agreements
• November 2, 2015 Funding agreements must be signed
• March 30, 2017 Projects completed
Eligible projects
All projects must support implementation of Phase I or Phase II municipal stormwater
programs and must demonstrate and sustain long-term benefits to multiple permittees
across a region or statewide.
Ecology will distribute the available funds to the highest ranked proposals for projects of
regional or statewide significance that address the activities listed below. In addition, Ecology
welcomes and will rank any proposals consistent with the criteria listed in Funding Program
Purposes. Ecology expects the lead permittee for the project to include costs for administering
Important Information
All applications must be submitted electronically via the EAGL system.
New users must register for a Secure Access Washington (SAW) account prior to beginning
the application process. New user account approval may take up to two weeks.
EAGL will not accept applications after 5:00 on July 30, 2015.
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the contract and managing the project, including coordinating with other partners and
participants in the region.
Public Education and Outreach- proposals in this category may include but are not limited to
the following project ideas:
o Develop and implement a regional social marketing campaign designed to engage a
target audience and affect behavior change. Projects may include but are not limited
to:
- Regional programs that connect the actions of individual community members to
stormwater and surface water quality using stewardship activities, outdoor education,
or hands-on practices to an identified target audience(s).
- Campaigns to reduce one or more toxic chemicals (e.g., PCBs) that can be
implemented by jurisdictions statewide.
o Develop, host, and maintain a web-based database of all the current educational
materials, public engagement campaigns, etc. in the state.
o Develop a regional/statewide spills tracking and referral system, including hotline.
o Organize, plan, and host a statewide conference on Washington State Municipal
Stormwater.
o Develop a web-based or mobile device application (App) to accompany the Western
Washington Rain Garden Handbook (e.g., the University of Connecticut’s Rain Garden
App) and/or regional LID tours.
Training Programs - proposals in this category may include but are not limited to the following
project ideas:
o Develop a standardized curriculum for trainings required by Municipal NPDES permits.
Develop and integrate appropriate LID training into CESCL training materials that can be
used as a statewide template.
o Create online or networked trainings using the open, online LID technical training
resources developed through Ecology.
o Implement an Eastern Washington training program on social marketing techniques for
stormwater public education and outreach programs that illustrate how to measure or
quantify behavior change.
o Develop college level curriculum that can be integrated into Ecology’s LID certification
program.
Technical Tools- proposals in this category may include but are not limited to the following
project ideas:
o Create a low impact development (LID) retrofit planning tool box. Provide background
information, planning and design techniques, community outreach and engagement
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strategies, prioritization tools, and pre-design requirements for bid and construction.
o Research and analyze the performance of specific LID techniques through field and lab
studies (e.g., monitor and compare pollutant removal based on plant material choices,
changes in soil amendment and other design elements) in Washington State and provide
recommendations for updating design criteria.
o Develop a stormwater inspection and maintenance checklist/standards/protocols for
stormwater treatment and flow control Best Management Practices (BMPs)/facilities that
are defined in the Eastern Washington LID Manual.
o Develop and implement a training program or webinar presenting success stories,
approaches and lessons learned for applying the minimum permit requirements on linear
projects (i.e., roadways, trails, sidewalks, utility upgrades).
o Produce geographically comprehensive, integrated maps of regional Municipal Separate
Storm Sewer Systems. Build upon previous mapping efforts, providing for standardized
data dictionaries and jurisdiction-specific Geographical Information System (GIS) data,
to develop watershed-based or regionally significant municipal separate storm sewer
system maps.
o Develop and analyze alternative strategies to promote and improve permit compliance
(peer-to-peer evaluation/program reviews).
Monitoring- proposals in this category may include but are not limited to the following project
ideas:
o Develop, facilitate, and provide support for regional monitoring programs in the eastern
regions of Washington State to refine monitoring design recommendations, as well as
design, and implement specific pilot projects related to this effort.
o Research interest and support for a regional stream gauging program to coordinate efforts
among state, local, and federal efforts. Develop a feasibility and cooperative business
model for such a program.
NOTE: All monitoring projects will require an Ecology-approved Quality Assurance Project
Plan (QAPP) and all data must be submitted to Ecology. All receiving water data must be
submitted via Ecology’s Environmental Information Management System (EIM).
Other - activities that support stormwater management program implementation and align with
the purposes of this funding program.
o Develop a watershed plan based on stormwater management that focuses on reducing
stormwater impacts and improving water quality through cross-jurisdictional coordinated
efforts.
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Evaluation Process
Ecology staff will evaluate projects based on responses provided in the application and materials
uploaded into EAGL. Projects must score a minimum of 600 points to be eligible for funding.
Projects will be scored and ranked on the following criteria:
Category Evaluation Criteria Maximum
Possible
Points
Project Purpose
(275 points)
Supports implementation of NPDES municipal stormwater
permit programs.
75
Directly benefits multiple permittees’ stormwater management
programs.
75
Demonstrates regional or statewide significance or value (i.e.,
is transferable).
100
Project will sustain long-term benefits and/or deliverables are
durable.
25
Project
Description and
Scope of Work
(300 points)
Clear project goals. 50
Detailed description of project tasks. 50
Applicant has identified all tasks necessary to complete
project.
25
Detailed description of measurable outcomes for applicants. 75
Includes specific deliverables to Ecology (linked to tasks). 50
Detailed schedule (including major dates and milestones). 50
Project Team
and Project
Management
(175 points)
Clear team structure with appropriate roles and responsibilities
for various partners. Includes appropriate estimates of time
dedicated by team members to the project.
75
Highly qualified staff, appropriate levels‐of‐effort and
assignments, and multiple permittees are actively engaged in
project delivery process.
75
Past project performance on similar water quality projects is
described and successes or lessons learned are documented.
25
Project Budget
and Readiness to
Proceed (250)
Budget is consistent with level of effort described in the scope
of work, with a good rationale for how it was calculated.
150
Readiness to proceed (e.g., ILAs developed, SEPA, contractors
selected or RFP developed, approval from local governments,
etc.)
100
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Ineligible project components
Ineligible projects or project components include but are not be limited to:
o Capital construction projects.
o Projects that do not support Municipal NPDES permit implementation.
o Give-a-ways or incentives that do not serve a stormwater quality educational purpose.
o Grant application preparation.
o TAPE review process for proprietary treatment systems.
How to apply
Applicants submit applications for funding through the Ecology Administration of Grants and
Loans (EAGL) system. The funding application is available by going to
www.ecy.wa.gov/funding/EAGL.html and following the instructions. Once in the EAGL
system, applicants can access the funding application and an EAGL User Manual that provides
instructions on accessing and using the system.
Applicants can submit applications beginning June 24, 2015. All applications must be
submitted by 5:00 pm on July 30, 2015. Applications and materials sent as hard copies or
by email will not be considered.
Grant Management
The following are important terms and conditions that play a role in the day-to-day decisions
made on grant projects. A complete listing of the administrative requirements for all grants and
loans administered by Ecology is contained in the Administrative Requirements for Recipients of
Ecology Grants and Loans Managed in EAGL; see:
https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/publications/1401002.pdf.
Administration
Applicants may request up to 15 percent of the total eligible project cost for Task 1 Project
Administration and Management in the project application. This task will include the cost of
preparing quarterly and final reports and payment requests, maintaining project documentation
and managing the project. Project administration is payable only to the lead permittee.
Recipients may include an overhead charge of up to 25 percent of salaries and benefits for
employees for time spent specifically on the project.
The funding agreement is the formal written contractual arrangement signed by authorized
representatives of the recipient and Ecology. The agreement, at a minimum will include: an
approved scope of work, total project costs, a budget, performance schedule and Ecology
General Terms and Conditions. Ecology assigns a project management team to each funded
project. The team consists of:
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o A project manager, generally from the regional office nearest the recipient (primary
contact for technical assistance and day-to-day questions).
o A financial manager from the Lacey headquarters office.
o A project engineer or technical advisor from either Lacey headquarters or the regional
office, as needed.
The financial manager reviews and approves payment requests and helps the project manager
negotiate agreements and track performance. The project manager is the point of contact for all
project related questions and works with the financial manager to resolve payment or eligibility
issues if they arise.
Ecology may assign a project engineer or technical advisor to provide engineering or technical
assistance, as necessary. The engineer may also serve as the project manager.
Agreement development
The Ecology project management team will use information contained in the funding proposal as
the basis for developing the funding agreement. It will take less time to develop a funding
agreement if you have a clearly defined project proposal that includes measurable objectives and
an accurate budget. Ecology may withdraw or reduce project funding if a task is determined to
be ineligible during the agreement negotiation process
Payment requests and project reporting
All grant payments are made on a reimbursement basis. Recipients must provide a progress
report with each payment request and at least quarterly. Failure to provide adequate progress
reports will result in denied payment requests and may result in project termination or other
actions.
Project completion dates and extensions
Applicants may incur project costs on and after the effective date published in the Final Offer
list, but Ecology cannot reimburse expenditures until the agreement has been signed by
Ecology’s Water Quality Program Manager. While applicants can incur eligible costs before the
agreement is signed, they do so at their own risk.
Projects must be completed no later than March 30, 2017. Ecology may approve extensions
for extenuating circumstances by formal amendment. Ecology will not authorize extensions for
projects that have not diligently pursued project completion or have not provided adequate and
timely progress reports. In no case will extensions be approved beyond June 30, 2017.